Monthly Archives: September 2014

Fiber Optic cables are key aspect of modern age as they play a major role to transmit data from one country to many other nations on the globe. We hear the term Fiber Optics whenever it concerns with telephone system, Internet or the cable TV system. Unfolding the cables, we get tiny strands of optical pure glass that are arranged to carry digital information to long distances with the amazing speed of multi-terabits per second. Fiber Optics cables have several advantages over traditional metal cables. This article will light on how Fiber Optic cable functions? The basic working principle whether it is glass or plastic fiber is the same. An optical transmitter, LESAR or LED diode, sends light signals in the core, the hallway path where the pulse travels, the light bounces off the cladding (mirror coated) walls of core, a phenomenon known as Total Internal Reflection and ultimately reaches at the other terminal, where the signal are received. The Total Internal Reflection sends down 100 percent of the signals transmitting form one side as cladded core doesn’t absorb any wave of light, hence the signals can travel on amazingly long destinations. However, one thing should be noticed that if the glass contains any impurities the signals could be degrade, depending upon the extent of impurities. Taking advantage of total internal reflection scientists are able to send data over large distances, for instance Trans-Pacific Fiber Optic or Trans-Atlantic Fiber Optic. The parts of Fiber Optics are organized as follow, Core: Tiny strands or fibers of glass center, where the light travels Cladding: The outer optical material surrounding the core, it bounds light in the core. Jacket: The external protective coating, usually of PVC, that protects fiber from damages.

Seaborn Networks and Alcatel Lucent have announced to start construction of underwater broadband infrastructure. Seabras-1 submarine fiber optic cable system will run between the US and Brazil, the first ever undersea cable system connecting Brazil to the US.

The six fiber Optic pair system, Seabras-1, would start from Fortaleza, Brazil to New York City. Both companies are focusing to handle enormous amount of data flow between both American nations, through Atlantic Ocean.

Seabras-1 is being manufactured by John Schwartz and his team at Seaborn, the system after completion will able to transmit data at 60 Tb/s.

Philippe Dumont, President of Alcatel-Lucent Submarine Networks said in a press release:

“Seabras-1 is an important catalyst for the continued expansion of affordable broadband penetration in Brazil and the region,”

“The Fiber Optic system will support a wide variety of global communication services for consumers and businesses throughout South America.”

Alcatel-Lucent, a French based telecommunications firm, will deploy an integrated 100G wet plant of cable and high bandwidth repeaters, power feed equipment as well as its 1620 Light Manager terminating at advanced coherent technology. Alcatel-Lucent would also be responsible for project management, system design and installation.

Microsoft is also endorsing the project since Nadella shift gears to focus on “mobile first, cloud first”.

“We are excited to work with Seaborn to expand our ‘mobile first, cloud first’ experience in Brazil. Seaborn and Microsoft share a common desire to deploy secure infrastructure and to further accelerate the availability of cloud technologies in Brazil and throughout Latin America.” said Vijay Gill, Microsoft’s General Manager for Global Network Services.

Google has also working on a similar undersea fiber optic project, FASTER, which is being deployed on the trans-Pacific route to connect USA and Japan. Five Asian telecommunications giant are team-up with Google to back the $300 million Project.

Unlike Seabras-1, FASTER will have gateways on Western Coast, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Portland.

Seabras-1 will enclosed into Kevlar sheath, like Faster, to resist against shark biting and other collisions that may damage delicate fiber optic structure.

The project intends to go operational in 2016, although the financial expenditures of Seabras-1 are not yet disclosed.

T Mobile is making a big innovation on Wi-Fi connectivity, according to the company’s offer plan every customer can make unlimited calling and texting over Wi-Fi.

The CEO, John Legere announced the offer, titled Wi-Fi Un-leashed, during Company’s event in San Francisco on Wednesday. The offer is available to all subscribers of T-Mobile Simple Choice Plan.

The mobile carrier also stretched its offer boundaries for those who are using T-Mobile subscriber’s regular number and no additional app.

The customers, whether they are connected with Wi-Fi network or one of T-Mobile tower can make HD voice calls without call dropping or affecting the quality of the call no matter any music or video is being streamed. Those areas which are poorly covered or not covered by T–Mobile’s LTE network are also ensured to benefit the service.

T-Mobile also announced their partnership with Gogo at the event, to offer customer’s unlimited texting to any other phone on the globe while traveling on the Gogo’s Wi-Fi enabled domestic flights.

CTO Neville Ray said they are spending billions to deploy new plan and packages,

“We have to be ever more disruptive. We have to do things the other guys won’t do.”

T-Mobile is the fourth major US carrier but becomes pioneer to start such offer which has not yet done by any other country’s carrier to date.

To make functional the exclusive package, T-Mobile has to enable Wi-Fi calling and texting for every smartphone that will be shipped from 17 September; the same date for shipment of Apple’s latest iPhone would start.

For those T-Mobile users which don’t have enabled Wi-Fi Un-leashed smartphones can trade in their devices with the help of company’s jump in program.